Growing grain...questions

[shanzone2001]

I have some questions because I have no idea where to start. I am hoping to have a large section plowed to grow grain and I need some advice.
What should I grow that will be easy to harvest for family and animals?
Where do I buy bulk grain?

I want to plant cover crops in my garden after the fall harvest. Any suggestions for something that is easy to grow and can just be tilled into the soil for improving it?

Thanks!

[AnnieinBC]

I would love to try this as well. I have grown buckwheat, it is very fast growing. We grow fall rye too, more for green manure though.

Here is a link to an article by Gene Logsdon - http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organ...wn-Garden.aspx

I have his book, called Small-Scale Grain Raising. It's very good, maybe your library has a copy? He grows small plots of grain in his back yard.

Good luck!

[jwal10]

Winter rye for cover crop mixed with peas if they will winter in your area. Oats for feed and they have the softest straw. Another farmer, grain warehouse, seed cleaner or farm store. I feed minerals and only oats to my livestock....James

[farmerDale]

I am a grain farmer, and would reply, but I see you are in Zone 11. I wouldn't have a clue what to tell you in terms of growing grain there.

On your other questions;

Do you want to plant and harvest by hand? Are you tied to "organic"? Do you live in the country and know anyone who grows grain? Cover crops? Tillage radishes are the current rage. Your question has brought up many more questions. Grains are easy to grow and hard to hand harvest. They are cheap to buy, and by the time you put all the effort into it, you often may as well have bought what your needs would be. How much land are you talking?

Sorry, a lot of questions....

[shanzone2001]

I think I am in zone 9...Northern CA (foothills)
I will have a 1 acre plot to use. I would like to grow some to plow into the soil, and others for animal feed as well as using in a hand mill for bread.

[goatlady]

Do you have a way to harvest it, then thresh it, and store it if true grain? Growing it is fairly easy, but getting it fit to eat can be a pain and extemely time consuming except for corn.

[rancher1913]

what goatlady said. moldy wanted a small patch of baking wheat and I had to tell her its cheaper and easier to buy it then grow less than 50 acers unless you have a lot of free labor, think victorian farm type harvest and ask your self if you really have that much time. the nehibor planted some baking wheat and we are going to buy 500 bushel from him, if anybody wants some they just have to show up with bulk containers and cash. I've got triticale planted this year but next year we might go back to wheat.

[walkswithgoats]

i'm going to grow quinoa and amaranth this year. i have never grown them before so i will partly be learning as i go. here is a good link on growing grain:
http://www.heirloom-organics.com/gui...inggrains.html

[shanzone2001]

Thanks!

[oregon woodsmok]

Oats, if it is for animal feed, because you can feed the grass and seed head and all. Wheat and barley seeds have stiff awns that can get caught in the animals lips and cause a lot of damage. So you can not feed them until they are completely cleaned and hulled.